Restructure Teacher Compensation

Raising the “status” of teaching is like chasing a mirage: It looks great from a distance but it never seems to materialize. Teachers today are one of the most respected members of our society, according to opinion polls. The growing backlash against perceived “teacher-bashing” in Wisconsin and elsewhere is more testament that Americans like their teachers. So what exactly is the problem the status-boosters are hoping to solve? Raising teachers’ self-esteem?

Finance better salaries by allowing class sizes to rise modestly, and trimming the number of aides and specialists.

On the other hand, it’s true that teaching today is not among the most attractive careers open to talented young people. Making it more attractive is an objective we can do something about.

Today’s teacher compensation system is perfectly designed to repel ambitious individuals. We offer mediocre starting salaries, provide meager raises even after hard-earned skills have been gained on the job and backload the most generous benefits (in terms of pensions) toward the end of 30 years of service. More fundamentally, for decades we’ve prioritized smaller classes over higher teacher pay. If we had kept class sizes constant over the past 50 years, the average teacher today would be making $100,000.

Thankfully, reformers are trying to flip this equation. Here’s the game plan: raise starting pay, accelerate salary bumps to keep up with a young teacher’s rapid improvement in effectiveness, offer ways for teachers to take on additional responsibilities and thus make more money (like mentoring younger peers or taking on more students), and offer portable retirement benefits that allow people to build retirement wealth without signing on for a lifetime of teaching. Finance this all by allowing class sizes to rise modestly, maximizing smart uses of technology, and trimming the number of aides and specialists our schools employ.

The current budget crisis — by forcing class sizes to rise and pushing policymakers to deal with out-of-control pension costs — could pave the way for a restructured teacher compensation system along these lines once the money returns. That will make teaching a much more attractive profession — and maybe make teachers feel better about themselves to boot.